Chess Grandmaster Timur Gareyev (aka Timur Gareev) is best known for his exceptional blindfold chess ability. His current goal is to break the world record by playing 50 simultaneous games of chess blindfolded. His training will consist of thousands of hours of preparation. Timur is currently on a World Blindfold Chess tour in preparation for this event. This event is scheduled for August 2016.
Timur Gareyev is a chess grandmaster originally from Uzbekistan. He has held the rank of 3rd highest rated chess player in the US and top 100 players in the world with a peak USCF rating of 2780. He is uniquely known for playing Blindfold chess. Blindfold Chess is a form of chess play where a player has no sight of the chess board or the positions of the pieces on the board.
Timur has participated in thousands of blindfold chess games in classic simuls, online events and practice games. In May 2013 he participated in a 33 board blindfold simul at the US Championship in St. Louis. The simul took a little over 10 hours finishing with 29 wins, 4 draws and zero losses. On July 31, 2015, Timur made history by setting a new world record for playing Tandem Blindfold Chess with the current Blindfold Chess Champion, Marc Lang.
Timur has an adventurous spirit and is a licensed sky diver and BASE jumper. He enjoys traveling and meeting new people. He stays fit by hiking and practicing yoga. Timur is active in schools and has chess academies in Las Vegas, Austin and Kansas. He serves as a consultant for the Karpov International School of Chess and has created a Virtual Chess instructional program that is being offered to schools all over the US. Timur has authored a Chess Tactics workbook called C.A.T. Tactics and is working on a new book titled Get Off the Couch and Play Chess.
Some of his notable accomplishment include:
• Asian Champion U-14 at age 12. • Completed GM norm requirements at age 15. • In 2004 he became the youngest-ever grandmaster from Asia at age 16. • Represented Uzbekistan in chess Olympiads in Calvia in 2004. • Represented Uzbekistan in Chess Olympiads in Turin in 2006. • From August 2005 to August 2006, GM Gareyev was part of the University of Texas at Brownsville's chess team. • In 2007, GM Gareyev tied for first with GM Vladimir Egin and GM Anton Filippov in the Uzbekstani Chess Championship. • Champion of 2008 Blackstone Chess Festival, in Pawtucket RI. • Winner of Liberty Bell Open 2008, 2009 • Champion of Arizona International 2009, 2010. • Winner of Chicago Open 2011, US Open 2011. • From August 2009 to December 2011, GM Gareyev helped the University of Texas at Brownsville obtain its first national championship along with other collegiate honors. • Winner of Land of the Sky 2012. North American Open 2012. • In 2013, GM Gareyev tied for third in the US Chess Championship. • Champion of Far West Open in Reno in April 2014. • Recipient of FRANK P. SAMFORD, JR. CHESS FELLOWSHIP, July 2012 - June 2013. • Champion of the IX Festival International de Xadrez Figueira Da Foz in Portugal with 8.5/9, November 2015 • GM Gareyev's astonishing simultaneous blindfold chess record include a 33-game blindfold simul in St. Louis. • Born in Tashkent Uzbekistan in 1988. • GM Gareyev graduated with B.A. degree in Business Marketing from the University of Texas at Brownsville.
- ^ "Timur Gareyev - Blindfold Chess". www.blindfoldking.com. Retrieved 2015-12-30.
- ^ "Breaking records in blindfold tandem chess". Chess News. 2015-08-08. Retrieved 2015-12-30.
- ^ "The United States Chess Federation - GM Timur Gareyev To Appear at the National Junior High Champs". www.uschess.org. Retrieved 2015-12-30.
- ^ "Blindfold Chess: History, Psychology, Techniques, Champions, World Records, and Important Games". www.blindfoldchess.net. Retrieved 2015-12-30.
- ^ Peters, Jack (2010-06-20). "Timur Gareyev wins National Open". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2015-12-30.
- ^ "GM Timur Gareev defeats 29 in blindfold simul | www.uschesschamps.com". www.uschesschamps.com. Retrieved 2015-12-30.